Vallejo City Council to consider downtown, gardening, traffic issues

Vallejo may soon see increased downtown police security, a narrowing of Sonoma Boulevard downtown and a new community garden.

These issues and more are scheduled for Tuesday night's Vallejo City Council meeting.

The council is scheduled to vote on leasing about 13,000 square feet of land at Ohio and Marin streets for up to 10 years to St. Vinnie's Community Garden, and the Global Center for Success.

The agreement would waive most fees and charge the tenants $1 a month, according to a city staff report.

The agreement also would allow the city to save $3,740 a year by removing rented fencing around the site. Once the garden is up and running, organizers would be on the hook for a $8,300 water connection fee, per the proposed lease.

Not too far away, a portion of the vision for the improvement of Vallejo's Sonoma Boulevard corridor soon may take its first baby steps.

The council will take the first of two votes to accept a Highway Safety Improvement Program grant aimed at reducing Sonoma Boulevard to one lane in each direction between Florida and Georgia streets, and installing bicycle lanes.

The city found that the area "was found to have collisions that could be mitigated by lane reductions and addition of bike lanes," according to a council report.

The project is expected to cost about $347,000, with the city footing nearly $36,000 of the bill.

Following acceptance of the grant, city Public Works staff would hold public meetings on the project's design, go through the environmental review process and aim for completion between 2015 and 2016.

Just before the council's regular meeting, members will consider casting its vote in favor of re-establishing a downtown property tax, designed to maintain, improve and promote local business.

Given the Council's approval Tuesday, the matter will officially be voted on at an April 9 Council meeting. Funds from the tax district in the coming 10 years are scheduled to go toward paying for Vallejo police officer patrols during business hours on week days, website operation and promotions, signage improvements, holiday decorations, general beautification and streetscape enhancements and district property owner advocacy.

In other issues, the council will consider:

* Modifying city zoning laws regarding residential view districts, following a public hearing (first of two votes)

* Funding the John F. Kennedy Library's renovation project with a budgeted $250,000 -- about half the project's cost -- to consolidate the children's and adult libraries on the second floor and install new bathrooms. The project is expected to take six months and start next month.

* Approving the relocation of city water main near Green Valley Road, due to pending Interstate 80 expansion work.